I have been thumbing through my old Sears catalogs looking at Columbia cylinder Graphophones. Of particular interest are the late B series, ie: BK, BE, BF, etc. In the advertisements, these machines came with a 14" brass horn. In all my years of collecting these machines, I never saw one in the flesh. I have some questions about these horns. Were these horns made out of a lightweight brass? I know a regular brass horn for an Edison, is much to heavy for the Columbia carriage. That's the reason why the aluminum horns were made. If anyone knows and can shed some light, I would appreciate it.
Harvey Kravitz
'
Brass Horn For Columbia Cylinder Machines
-
Phonofreak
- Victor VI
- Posts: 3720
- Joined: Tue Mar 23, 2010 7:00 pm
- Location: Western, WA State
- Lucius1958
- Victor Monarch
- Posts: 4103
- Joined: Tue Dec 14, 2010 12:17 am
- Personal Text: 'Don't take Life so serious, son. It ain't nohow permanent.' - 'POGO'
- Location: Where there's "hamburger ALL OVER the highway"...
Re: Brass Horn For Columbia Cylinder Machines
The Columbia B series machines featured a substantial reproducer carriage, which was able to bear more weight than the earlier floating reproducer mounts (many of which used potmetal, making the aluminum horns necessary).
Bill
Bill
-
Phonofreak
- Victor VI
- Posts: 3720
- Joined: Tue Mar 23, 2010 7:00 pm
- Location: Western, WA State
Re: Brass Horn For Columbia Cylinder Machines
Thanks for the info. What does a Columbia brass horn looks like? I'm interested to see what they look like.
Harvey Kravitz
Harvey Kravitz
- Curt A
- Victor Monarch Special
- Posts: 6874
- Joined: Fri Jul 09, 2010 8:32 pm
- Personal Text: Needle Tins are Addictive
- Location: Belmont, North Carolina
Re: Brass Horn For Columbia Cylinder Machines
A Google search brought up a number of images similar to the following two... I think one might be more accurate than the other (if that is an original horn). 
- Attachments
-
- columbia-be-cylinder-phonograph-with-brass-horn_322134124605.jpg (26.88 KiB) Viewed 1519 times
"The phonograph is not of any commercial value."
Thomas Alva Edison - Comment to his assistant, Samuel Insull.
"No one needs a Victrola XX, a Perfected Graphophone Type G, or whatever you call those noisy things."
My Wife
Thomas Alva Edison - Comment to his assistant, Samuel Insull.
"No one needs a Victrola XX, a Perfected Graphophone Type G, or whatever you call those noisy things."
My Wife
-
Phonofreak
- Victor VI
- Posts: 3720
- Joined: Tue Mar 23, 2010 7:00 pm
- Location: Western, WA State
Re: Brass Horn For Columbia Cylinder Machines
I have seen that 14" horn many times, It is a repro. The ones I have seen in the old Sears catalogs have the same shape and profile as the aluminum horns.
Harvey Kravitz
Harvey Kravitz
- Curt A
- Victor Monarch Special
- Posts: 6874
- Joined: Fri Jul 09, 2010 8:32 pm
- Personal Text: Needle Tins are Addictive
- Location: Belmont, North Carolina
Re: Brass Horn For Columbia Cylinder Machines
Harvey, since you have three aluminum Columbia horns, just take one and paint it gold...

"The phonograph is not of any commercial value."
Thomas Alva Edison - Comment to his assistant, Samuel Insull.
"No one needs a Victrola XX, a Perfected Graphophone Type G, or whatever you call those noisy things."
My Wife
Thomas Alva Edison - Comment to his assistant, Samuel Insull.
"No one needs a Victrola XX, a Perfected Graphophone Type G, or whatever you call those noisy things."
My Wife
- Panatropia
- Victor II
- Posts: 282
- Joined: Fri Jan 29, 2016 10:45 am
- Personal Text: Forum Fairy....
- Location: Huntington N.Y.
Re: Brass Horn For Columbia Cylinder Machines
My BF has a brass horn, but it's nickel plated. Has letters and numbers stamped upon the neck.
-
Phonofreak
- Victor VI
- Posts: 3720
- Joined: Tue Mar 23, 2010 7:00 pm
- Location: Western, WA State
Re: Brass Horn For Columbia Cylinder Machines
If you are able to send a picture, That will be great.
Harvey Kravitz
Harvey Kravitz
Panatropia wrote:My BF has a brass horn, but it's nickel plated. Has letters and numbers stamped upon the neck.
- Panatropia
- Victor II
- Posts: 282
- Joined: Fri Jan 29, 2016 10:45 am
- Personal Text: Forum Fairy....
- Location: Huntington N.Y.
Re: Brass Horn For Columbia Cylinder Machines
I'll take some tomorrow morning.Phonofreak wrote:If you are able to send a picture, That will be great.
Harvey KravitzPanatropia wrote:My BF has a brass horn, but it's nickel plated. Has letters and numbers stamped upon the neck.
- Panatropia
- Victor II
- Posts: 282
- Joined: Fri Jan 29, 2016 10:45 am
- Personal Text: Forum Fairy....
- Location: Huntington N.Y.
Re: Brass Horn For Columbia Cylinder Machines
Here's the horn that came with my BF. While the bell is brass, the cone is steel. Stamped upon the neck ferrule and barely visible is "standard".